A kid runs from a hurt animal and spends the night learning what it costs to look away. He wakes up changed, not because a dream gave him magic, but because he finally understands the difference between who he is and who he needs to be. That's the whole movie, and it's everything.

Koichi and his sister Yuki make friends with Hanaguro, a swan that has flown all the way to Japan from Siberia. When a dog attacks Hanaguro, the timid Koichi runs away. That night he dreams that he is carried off to the Kingdom of Snow Prince, and there he gathers the courage to help the other swans. The film is a drama with a slice-of-life feel.